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fouled evap water side

I have a customer with and open loop titanium evap. After eliminating other possible issues have detemined evap to be fouled with algae/ slime/ snot whatever you care to call it. Upon open inspection of evap water side found significant white slime insulating evap tube bundle. What is the recommended treatment/ratio for cleaing/flushing. Have rotting/punched tooooo many condenser tube to fathom but usually the evap water side is closed loop and the water treatment company handles it. Not the case for commercial fish hatchery. recomendations please

Brushes?????

Originally Posted by socotech

I have brushed a few evaps. I clean them the same way as condensers.

Why would you brush the outside of a tube. Water typically flows thru a condenser tube so yes brush it by all means. But refrigerant flows thru the tubes in most evaps thus the need to rot the water side surrounding the tube bundle kinda hard to brush. Again I have Titanium tubes/ PVC shell trying to remove mainly algae......looking for best mixture ratio that will rinse clean when done. I need no trace chemicals when done as stated water flowing around the evap coil comes in direct contact with fish. Obviously I could run copper algaecide and it would remove the slime but what effect on the bundle??? Or simply acid??? But at what mixture. Typically we clean the inside of nickle copper condenser tube with acid. But this is a little different scenario.

Many,many chillers have "flooded" evaporators, where the water is inside the tubes. Asking for help while "drip feeding" information wastes time. You should either be grateful that some are willing to waste their time, or you should give more complete information.

Many,many chillers have "flooded" evaporators, where the water is inside the tubes. Asking for help while "drip feeding" information wastes time. You should either be grateful that some are willing to waste their time, or you should give more complete information.

Ya what this guy said. Oh and call the manufacturer and follow their recommendations.

Many times when working through the various school districts in the Houston area I have found that due diligince was never accomplished when centrifigal chillers are started up and the welding slag started the corosion process. The chiller manufacturer never mattered Trane, York, Carrier or McQuay they all would foul the same. Solid black non-washable crap that had to be brushed with brass brushes after the tubes were rodded out. Even then it would always return to its fouled condition as we weren't allowed to attempt to clean the system. So, I would say get your PPE, tube brushing machine, brass brushes and grin and bear-it. -GEO

Once in a while everything falls into place and I am able to move forward, most of the time it just falls all over the place and I can't go anywhere-GEO

Why would you brush the outside of a tube. Water typically flows thru a condenser tube so yes brush it by all means. But refrigerant flows thru the tubes in most evaps thus the need to rot the water side surrounding the tube bundle kinda hard to brush. Again I have Titanium tubes/ PVC shell trying to remove mainly algae......looking for best mixture ratio that will rinse clean when done. I need no trace chemicals when done as stated water flowing around the evap coil comes in direct contact with fish. Obviously I could run copper algaecide and it would remove the slime but what effect on the bundle??? Or simply acid??? But at what mixture. Typically we clean the inside of nickle copper condenser tube with acid. But this is a little different scenario.

I assumed you were talking about a flooded evap. By "rot", do you mean "rod"?

Maybe in your world. I've worked on far more flooded evaporator chillers than DX in my career. Maybe you could go purchase some of these and throw them in there. I understand they are really aggressive on algae.

many 'small' chillers use a 'water on the outside / refrigerant on the inside' configuration for the evaporator.

i guess you can try just about anything if they are going to not use proper water treatment. i understand that it will come in contact with live fish, however, even they need proper treatment too. if this is an on going problem, frequent drain down and aggressive cleaning and flushing may be in order.

Maybe in your world. I've worked on far more flooded evaporator chillers than DX in my career. Maybe you could go purchase some of these and throw them in there. I understand they are really aggressive on algae.

Falling film also.
X2 for the linked algae treatment.

Have not laughed like this in days.

Just an idea but you could sell them another pump and a plate heat-exchanger.
Isolate the chiller to prevent further damage after cleaning.